Thursday, October 12, 2017

Amendment the 25th

by Tom Sullivan

“I hate everyone in the White House! There are a few exceptions, but I hate them!” the sitting president told his longtime security chief, Keith Schiller, according to Gabriel Sherman's explosive piece in Vanity Fair.

The emotionally stunted chief executive hasn't the intellect, judgment, character, experience or maturity for the job he holds. In his natural habitat, the reality show host would fire himself.

Aside from his other frustrations, he now has another reason to side-eye those surrounding him at cabinet meetings. Gabriel Sherman writes:

Even before Corker’s remarks, some West Wing advisers were worried that Trump’s behavior could cause the Cabinet to take extraordinary Constitutional measures to remove him from office. Several months ago, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversation, former chief strategist Steve Bannon told Trump that the risk to his presidency wasn’t impeachment, but the 25th Amendment—the provision by which a majority of the Cabinet can vote to remove the president. When Bannon mentioned the 25th Amendment, Trump said, “What’s that?”

The president of the United States, ladies and gentlemen.

Sherman continues:

According to a source, Bannon has told people he thinks Trump has only a 30 percent chance of making it the full term.

The rest of us are more concerned with what the country's chances are.

Vanity Fair reported people close to the president say he is "losing a step," and "unraveling." WATCH: https://t.co/tm9jV5fbba

Last night on MSNBC's Hardball, Howard Fineman suggested to host Chris Matthews that the sitting president now has even more reason to hate his team:

Fineman: First, I'm going to make the assumption that Donald Trump has now actually read the 25th Amendment. And presuming he has, he might want to start being careful about who he puts on the Cabinet.

Matthews: Because they can knock him out.

Fineman: A majority can say that he is unfit to hold the office. I'm telling you, it's going to completely change Donald Trump's view of a Cabinet. He'll probably never have a Cabinet meeting again.

He'll likely demand loyalty oaths and pledges from nominees not to invoke the 25th Amendment if appointed. Which means he'll ask them to violate their oaths to uphold the Constitution the moment they take them, as he likely did with Emoluments Clause.

U.S. Senate, be forwarned.

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